Hair drying devices deliver a stream of hot air for drying and shaping hair into a desired style. A diffuser is commonly used to disperse the air flow from a hair drying device thereby creating curls, body and texture without frizz. Under certain circumstances it is desirable to modify the design of a hair drying or styling device or its attachments in order to achieve a certain hair style.
Consumers often pay a premium to have their hair professionally blown dry to achieve a finished salon look. Hairdressers operate meticulously by drying and styling specific parts of the hair at one time. When drying hair, the hairdresser uses a brush, selects a small section of hair, and repeatedly applies heat to the hair. By concentrating the heat on a particular section and simultaneously pulling the brush in a desired direction, the drying process shapes the hair creating volume and style. For example, when the heated air from the dryer is applied, and the brush is pulled downward toward the ends of the hair a smooth finish is created.
Modifications to hair drying devices to improve performance can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,563,250, 5,956,863, 3,939,850, 6,199,295, and 5,316,025. However each of these modifications suffers from one or more disadvantages such as complexity, high cost, and limited effectiveness. For example, most hair dryer modifications have awkward configurations, making the drying process even more challenging for the user which can be tiresome and frustrating.
Typically hair dryers have a tubular body that houses a blower defining an air intake and air outlet. An electric motor is provided to run an internal fan which draws air from the environment into the air intake. The air is generally forced across a heating element toward the air outlet. The heated air flows through the air outlet and out of the body surrounding the air outlet. The circular cross section dries and flattens the surface of the hair, while the hair underneath remains wet for a longer period of time.
A conventional hair drying device without an accessory attached has a circular cross section flow pattern. Accessories can be attached to the body surrounding the air outlet of the hair dryer. The heated air flows through the body and exits the air outlet and through the accessory altering the flow pattern of the air. A variety of accessories are known for altering the flow pattern of air from the hair dryer, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos., D426674, 4,538,362, 71,521,610, D440354, and French Patent No. 2888095. However, each of these suffers from one or more of the disadvantages of low efficiency, and inability to create volume and a smooth finished hair style.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a hair treatment device that overcomes the disadvantages of prior devices.